Yahoo Lifestyle The Voice Premiere Recap: As Adam Levine Reclaimed His Seat, Which Singers Deserved a Standing Ovation?
After 10 seasons away from The Voice, OG coach Adam Levine returned to NBC’s enduring sing-off Monday, taking a red swivel chair next to John Legend, Michael Bublé and former Comeback Stage ringleader Kelsea Ballerini. The Maroon 5 frontman hadn’t lost his touch, either. Read on, and we’ll review not only the contestants that turned his seat but his rivals’ as well.
Grace-Miller Moody (Team Adam), “Sunday Morning” — Grade: B | It may not sound like a compliment when I describe Grace-Miller’s voice as squeaky, but I mean it as one. The four-chair turn’s jazzy tone easily veered back and forth on Maroon 5’s ballad from growly to pleasantly… well, squeaky.
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Renzo (Team Legend), “Simple Man” — Grade: A | There was a fantastically appealing unfussiness to Renzo’s cover. The three-chair turn sang as simply and honestly as he did powerfully, and the result was nothing short of stunning. John was shrewd, methinks, to use his Block on Adam.
Iris Herrera (Team Kelsea), “You Are My Sunshine” — Grade: A- | After failing to get a chair turn in Season 26, Iris returned ready and raring to go, and impressed every coach but Adam with her magnificently raw vocals. I can already hear her slaying some Elle King later this season.
Jadyn Cree (Team Bublé), “Still Into You” — Grade: B | Working a very Billie Eilish look, the daughter of Season 25’s Bryan Olesen started strong on her Paramore cover but just didn’t have quite the oomph to put it over the top. At least the two-chair turn had what Adam called “a ’90s pop voice.”
Darius J (Team Adam), “Caught Up” — Grade: C | Three of the four coaches went crazy for fashion-forward Darius, and I could see why: The guy’s a party on two legs, lovable and fun and full to brimming with charisma. Alas, his voice wasn’t nearly as exciting as his dazzling stage presence.
Angie Rey (Team Kelsea), “Penthouse (Healed Version)” — Grade: C | Not sure why Kelsea turned her chair other than the fact that the contestant was doing her song. Angie’s rendition felt hella messy; even Kelsea said she could tell Angie was nervous. But the country star was still wowed.
Carlos Santiago (Team Michael), “Right Here Waiting” — Grade: C+ | As his eventual coach noted early on, Carlos has a nice voice. But his Richard Marx cover, bordering as it was on overwrought “popera,” laid on the cheese more thickly than I like even on a pizza. Battles cannon fodder for sure.
Dan Kiernan (Team Kelsea), “High Hopes” — Grade: B- | Tackling Panic! At the Disco’s smash, Dan brought to the stage a lot of energy but, maybe owing to nerves, not a ton of vocal control. Nonetheless, Kelsea was so enamored that she used her Coach’s Replay to recruit him at the last minute.
Ethan Eckenroad (Team Adam), “Northern Attitude” — Grade: A | What can I say about how lovely Ethan’s take on Noah Kahan was? It was so blessedly free of artifice, so full of feeling, so marvelously performed with a mixture of strength and vulnerability. A well-earned four-chair turn.
The Voice’s 20 Best Performances of All Time, Ranked: The Good, the Badass and the Downright Amazing
What did you think of the Season 27 premiere? Grade it below, then vote for your favorite of the night’s contestants.
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